Penn State Bids to Host State Tournament

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Penn State University has made a bid to host the PIAA Individual Wrestling Tournament for the next four seasons. According to the Centre Daily Times, Penn State assistant athletic director Jennifer James has confirmed the submission of a bid to host the 2013-2016 PIAA Individual Wrestling Tournament at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center. The State Tournament has been held in Hershey, PA since 1979 and last season celebrated the Tournament’s 75th Anniversary. It would not be the first time State College hosted the PIAA Wrestling Tournament. Penn State’s Rec Hall hosted the Tournament from 1938-1946, 1952-1969, 1971, and 1975-1978. Additionally Rec Hall hosted the 1974 “Class A” version while the Farm Show Arena hosted the “Class B” version. 1974 was the only season that the PIAA hosted it’s two class system at two different locations.

James told the Centre Daily Times that Penn State’s recent success in the NCAA Tournament led by head coach Cael Sanderson and the region’s interest in the sport prompted officials to submit the bid to host. If awarded the bid to host it would be the first time Penn State University has hosted a wrestling tournament since the 2009 Big Ten Championships. The PIAA Board of Directors will make recommendations on hosts for the 2013-2016 winter sports sites at it’s meeting on May 23-24 in Chambersburg. If awarded the right to host the PIAA State Individual Tournament it would be the first time in 33 years that the event was not held in Hershey, PA. Jennifer James has confirmed that Penn State has only placed a bid on the Individual State Tournament and not the Team State Tournament due to conflict of events. Therefore even if the PIAA State Individual Tournament heads to State College in 2013, the Team State Tournament will most likely remain at the Giant Center.

The PIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament has been hosted at the Farm Show Arena in Harrisburg, the West Side Armory in Kingston near Wilkes-Barre, Lancaster McCaskey High School, Washington High School, and the Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown.

 

History of PIAA State Wrestling Tournament Hosts:

1938-1946:  Penn State University’s Rec Hall (State College, PA)

1947-1948:  West Side Armory (Kingston, PA) 

1949:  Lancaster McCaskey High School (Lancaster, PA)

1950:  Washington High School (Washington, PA)

1951:  Cambria County War Memorial (Johnstown, PA)

1952-1969:  Penn State University’s Rec Hall (State College, PA)

1970:  Farm Show Arena (Harrisburg, PA)

1971:  Penn State University’s Rec Hall (State College, PA)

1972-1973:  Farm Show Arena (Harrisburg, PA)

1974:  (“Class A”) Penn State University’s Rec Hall (State College, PA)

1974:  (“Class B”) Farm Show Arena (Harrisburg, PA)

1975-1978:  Penn State University’s Rec Hall (State College, PA)

1979-2002:  Hersheypark Arena (Hershey, PA)

2003-2012: Giant Center (Hershey, PA)

2013-2016:  To Be Determined

 

 

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